Background Angels
by Celestial Moonlight Blade
Summary: We know the story of Harry Potter, but what about the other students? What did they lose? What did they sacrifice? What did they accomplish? What were the stories behind the attack on Hogwarts and the occupation during the Seventh Year?


**Background Angels**

**Me: Hi. This is an idea that I got when I was reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I was wondering what became of the people who suffered while Harry was doing what he had to, and if the Golden Trio's opinions of people and what they saw of them was completely accurate. The result? This story. Tell me what you think, please! The time space covers Harry's sixth and seventh year.**

**I do not own Harry Potter.**

Everyone thought they knew Lavander Brown – flighty, fairly dumb, obsessed with boys and no conception of how to take things seriously. She was pretty, which was why Ron asked her out.

It's all a lie. A construct behind which the blonde girl hides her real self – a quiet, cautious, thoughtful, depressed mope.

And no one knows that better than Lavander's best friend, Pavarti.

Lavander was a pureblood, not that it mattered to her. But it did matter to her parents, who were suffering from their neighbours pressuring them to join you-know-who or to just pay them for protection. Her father was close to caving. Her mother was increasingly putting pressure on Lavander to find a suitable match for herself, fearing that neither of them would survive the inevitable explosion of war that was hanging overhead.

Except Lavander didn't want that. She didn't want to be looking for a suitor this young, she didn't want to have to stay at home while her husband went out to work. But, those were the ideals of a young pureblood woman, so what could she do about it?

Lavander was a teenaged girl. Part of her was thankful for this; it made constructing her illusion that much easier. People expected teenaged girls to be flighty. Obsessed with boys. To not take anything seriously. To do nothing but gossip and laugh with friends. They didn't look any deeper than that. They didn't suspect you of hiding secrets. At least, not any secrets with any weight.

Secrets. Lavander Brown had a lot of secrets, that all added up to one particularly powerful one. One she shared with her best friend. One that her mother had threatened to toss her out of the house over. One secret, she feared, that would make her an outcast for good.

It was the reason she was in this room, getting kissed by Ronald Weasley.

She'd thrown herself at Ron's invitation to date him even though she knew damn well he was just using her to make Hermione Granger jealous.

Oh, she could tell, contrary to people's thoughts she was no idiot. Despite being a hormonal teenaged boy he only kissed or made out with her when he was sure Hermione was watching; he'd often pretend to be asleep when she was excitedly talking about something that interested her.

It hurt. It hurt to know you were being used to make some sort of point to the girl your date were actually interested in. But Lavander was familiar with hurt. She'd been hurting ever since she told her parents who she loved.

It wasn't that Pavarti was a foreign pureblood; despite many British Purebloods insisting that they were not trustworthy and would destroy Britain from the inside the Browns didn't believe in that. While purebloods (at least some of them) accepted that to keep bloodlines strong they had to invite knew families into the country, they rarely did it gladly, and Lavander had read about some families assassinating their partners after they bore the necessary children. Lavander herself had always been determined not to follow that thought process. Even behind her illusion, no one could call her mean-spirited or cruel; she was friendly and welcoming to everyone. She was one of the first people to become friends with the Patil sisters.

It wasn't that Pavarti didn't have the absolute highest grades in her class, that belonged to Miss Know-It-All Granger. (It made Lavander feel better to call her that, it gave her someplace to direct her unhappiness, even though some part of her knew it wasn't fair) Lavander herself was a good student. She got four Os in her OWLs. It would have amazed people who looked at her superficial qualities, but Lavander was actually quite smart. And so was Pavarti, because they did their homework together.

No, it wasn't a lack of money, pure blood, or intelligence. It was a much more personal and delicate matter.

It was because Pavarti was a lesbian. And so was Lavander.

Lavander wanted to laugh, although it would certainly have a bitter edge to it. No wizard was capable of wondering, were they? Oh, they're just girls, there's nothing strange about them spending _so much_ time together. It wasn't strange that they relied on each other so much to get through the teasing, the mocking laughter or the aspirations cast on their intelligence. It wasn't strange how close they were. Because they couldn't _love _each other. Right?

Well, they're wrong. Lavander Brown loved Pavarti Patil. It was simply one of the truths of this universe, like that snow fell down and grass grew up.

Pavarti was the only person who saw through Lavander's carefully manufactured illusion. She was the only one who sympathized. Who understood.

And even that, even Ron using her didn't hurt as much as seeing Pavarti's heartbroken expression when she'd seen Ron kiss her. Lavander's first instinct was to break away, slap the Weasal for being so presumptuous as to kiss her, run after her best friend and apologize. But she was surrounded by the Quittiage team, people who would question that action, and who gave a damn about her feelings of Ronald Weasley needed something?

After all, she wasn't part of the 'Golden Trio', so she didn't have a green light to 'do whatever the hell you want and get away with it' like they did.

Lavander Brown was in love with her best friend. It wasn't a stupid infatuation like Ron had on her good looks or that they giggled about when they saw people watching them. In fact, Lavander could safely say she had a much better understanding of real love than Ronald did.

He was so immature. At least Lavander was only pretending to be so airheaded. She'd hoped she'd be able to fake a male attraction, and while the flighty fancy bit had been easy enough now she was tasting bitterness every time he kissed her.

It felt sparkless and at odds with who she was.

Lavander Brown was walking up to the Owlrey, thinking about how much she wished she could just disappear when a hoot caught her attention. It was an owl from her mother. Lavander took it and scanned it, and Susan Bones had to run to the infirmary shouting for help after finding her lying prone of the floor.

Her father was dead. Lavander let those words bounce around her head for the following hours she spend in the Hospital Wing being treated for shock. He had died to tell her and the rest of the world that Voldemort could not be killed. He had anchor that were keeping him here.

Her mother had no idea what he was talking about. She had sent a copy of the letter to Dumbledore, who had never replied.

Well, her name wasn't Harry Potter, why should he bother telling them anything?

It was at this moment, even through her grief, that Lavander realized something. If Rome was going to burn, why not play the lyre and enjoy whatever peace she had left? If the gong went off and they had to go to war, she'd rather have enjoyed herself first. And, her mind beginning to clear, she was not going to die without admitting something very important to someone close to her.

Lavander got up and walked out of the hall, ignoring the flustered calls of Poppy. She walked purposefully down the hallway, not saying a word, her eyes downcast.

"Lavander! Hey, Lavander!" Ron Weasley. Well, he could consider himself dumped.

Pavarti appeared at the end of the hall and ran towards Lavander. "Lavander, I heard you collapsed, are you okay?"

Lavander raised her eyes to meet her friends and softly said, "I'm...kind of not okay, Pavarti...I don't think any of us are going to get out of this okay." Pavarti watched her with worried eyes. "People...say You-Know-Who can't be killed. He's out there and no one's doing anything, because apparently the all-knowing Dumbledore has better things to be doing than protecting us."

"Lavander?" Pavarti squeaked slightly. She didn't know what to say, Lavander didn't show this side of her in the halls.

"Lavander?" Ron called again. Pavarti tried not to glare at him and failed.

"Pavarti?" Lavander added softly. Pavarti turned her eyes back to her. "I just thought...if these are, potentially, our last days...I didn't want there to be anything left unsaid." She offered her a weak chuckle. "Everything's going to go to hell anyway."

Pavarti's eyes flashed with understanding and she wrapped her arms around Lavander's neck. "We'll be okay. We'll be safe." She whispered. "I promise." She then unhesitatingly kissed Lavander on the lips, in the middle of the hallway. Ron let out a strangled squeaking noise that was actually quite entertaining.

Lavander broke the kiss for a moment before saying, "Don't act so shocked, Ronald. I know you were just using me to make Granger jealous no matter what my feelings might be, but I'm worth more than that. Consider this you being dumped." Pavarti chuckled and they kissed again.

Ron just stared at them with his mouth hanging open. Sweet, friendly Harry Potter turned bright red, stammered an apology for staring and dragged Ron down another hall.

A year later, Lavander Brown would be mauled by Fenrir Grayback, leaving her with scars all over her face. People called her ugly and even her mother wouldn't look at her. But Pavarti always did. She would gently run a hand through her hair and assure her she was beautiful. That was the price she paid for just being in the same school as Harry Potter.

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Colin Creevy was a very nervous boy.

He had been spending the last – how long had it been? Six months? Two years? It seemed like an eternity – trying to work up the courage to approach the object of his affection, Rayne Dantes. The beautiful golden-red haired girl was in all of his classes, and he'd been nursing feelings for her for ages now.

Rayne was one of the people who found his curiosity and mannerisms endearing. She shared his passion for photography and journalism. She was cute and insightful. What Colin didn't understand was why no one else seemed to think so.

When they talked over their Charms work, Rayne admitted that most people thought she was weird, inept, and simply too strange to be around. The only other girl who thought of things in the same vein as her was Luna Lovegood, while Rayne liked her she had a hard time keeping up with the Ravenclaw's strange understanding of the world.

Rayne was also a Slytherin. Other Gryffindors automatically assumed that meant she was just as much trouble as Malfoy or his cronies, something Colin found absolutely absurd. House Rivarlies were such petty boundaries; blinding you to what people were really like.

Colin had sat down and listened to Rayne talk about her house. The rest of the school had been shunning the occupants of Slytherin house ever since Madrake the Foul had risen as a cruel slave driver from their ranks. As a result, Slytherins became bitter and decided that if people had already decided they were trouble, why not play along?

Colin told her, "That's ridiculous! Rayne, I've known you since first year. There isn't an evil bone in your body. You're smart and sweet and...funny and kind. You don't have to be evil. None of you do!"

Rayne's beaming smile was worth a million gallons.

They talked more after that conversation. Rayne suggested that after they graduate from Hogwarts they could work for the Daily Prophet – try to make it more, ah, truthful. It was Colin's suggestion that they start their own newspaper, and they decided to do a trail run with one inside their school.

Hogwart's Inquirer was a smash hit. Colin and Rayne used the pseudonym _Gabby Gums _so no one knew who was writing it; it was popular with all four houses, something that rarely happened inside the school. Ideas and offers to write editorials were pouring in, even high-and-mighty super-critical Hermione Granger enjoyed it.

Luna had asked Rayne and Colin if they'd mind helping her write something for the Quibbler. Rayne didn't ask how she'd known it was them. Luna had a strange way of knowing these things, she said simply.

This was where Colin was hoping to ask her out.

They spent a lot of time completing the editorial. Luna was happy with the way it had turned out, causing Rayne and Colin to let out unconscious sighs of relief. Luna's strange tastes were hard to replicate correctly.

"I'm glad you agreed to do this with me, Colin." Rayne said softly, wearing that smile that he loved so much, as they walked back to the hallways that lead towards their respective houses. "It's nice to have someone who's willing to do this with me."

Colin grinned. "Y-You're welcome Rayne. Can I ask you something?" He asked hurriedly before he could panic and run before asking.

Rayne turned and looked at him, her supplies held against her stomach with one hand, watching him with the (in Colin's humble opinion) prettiest green eyes in the school. Her expression was, hopeful?, or was he imagining that? "Of course."

"Well, I was kind of wondering..." Colin twitched. _Come on, you talked to Harry Potter! How much harder could this be? _"...willyougooutwithme?"

He waited for a second. Rayne's eyes widened. Then she dropped her stuff and threw her arms around him; thanks to her having a good inch on him she accidentally knocked him over. "Yes! YesYesYes! I'd love to!"

Colin scrambled into a sitting position, Rayne right in front of him, hair dangling around her face, laughing and her eyes gleaming apologetically. "Sorry," she managed.

"Oh, it's okay." Colin said, trying not to blush. They simply sat there and stared at each other for a minute, blushing and smiling. He offered her his hand and they stood up together.

_Okay. Let go now. _But Colin's hands refused to obey his brain; they held onto Rayne like she was the last thing he'd ever hold. Rayne's smile grew a bit. Colin was truly smitten with this girl and that smile.

He kissed her on the cheek and pulled back, worried he might have gone too far but then Rayne kissed him, knocking the air out of his lungs and making him feel completely weightless. Muggle fireworks went off inside his head. It was all he could do not to cheer.

After the kiss they talked a lot. About the future. How many kids they would have, what their house would be like, how often they'd publish, the kinds of places they'd see.

They were so, genuinely happy. The teachers even commented on how natural and sweet their romance was. That they'd never seen a happier couple. Despite the rivarly of their houses, despite Rayne's threatening housemates, they were happy.

They never saw the doom coming. They never saw coming what would shatter their happiness and leave Rayne a widow at the age of seventeen. Rayne Dantes-Creevy had time to reflect on the suddenness of it when she was crying over Colin's lifeless body during an intermission of the battle of Hogwarts. Her beloved photographer would haunt her dreams forevermore.

Because what did Colin Creevy's death matter if Harry Potter had fulfilled his duty as the magical chosen one?

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Blaise Zabini hated the job his mother had given him.

He understood her reasons for it, he understood the desperation and the danger of the situation they'd soon be in but that didn't mean he had to like it. He hated hanging out with Pureblood fanatics, he hated calling muggleborns by those disgusting slurs and he hated pretending to suck up to that hypocrite Dark Lord.

But they had to get information some how. And Draco's fear of loosing his parents was giving him loose lips, though he hadn't realized it.

Blaise's mother Samantha Zabini was an assassin with a reputation, but that alone could not bring in help from their people. Samantha knew a power-hungry black hole when she saw one. She knew that Riddle would never be content just to rule over Wizarding Britain; he'd move on to the other wizarding countries and then to the muggle world.

It was madness, it was destructive, and who knows how much damage would be done if he was allowed to proceed any further. Samantha had been doing all the damage and information-hunting she could after the disastrous ending to his fifth year.

Blaise knew his mother had loved the last Black. Part of him had hoped he'd get the man for the first _real _father he'd ever have. He loved the stories of the Maurdaer's exploits and the courage of the man himself.

But then he died. Died because Dumbledore once again thought he knew what was best for everyone, basking in his hubris. His accused hubris, that was bringing death and destruction that the Headmaster was cordially ignoring. It was a miracle no one else died. It was a miracle _Harry _hadn't died.

Sometimes Blaise wondered if anyone considered children outside the Golden Trio worth protecting. Plenty of concern for Harry (at least when they were sure he was of use to them and on their side; the hypocrisy of wizarding Britain never ceased to amaze him) but not as much – not nearly enough – for the rest of the school.

Blaise wondered if he should suggest to Samantha that they evacuate all muggleborn wives and children out of wizarding Britain. He gets a sinking feeling that it might be the only thing that could save them, but something, he doesn't know what, holds his tongue. Maybe it's holding out hope that Dumbledore is still worried for all of them.

Blaise kept writing to his mother, secretly of course through the network letter transport that the Italian wizards had had perfected since the time of Rome, when the last magical empire had stood. He told her every detail he picked up from Draco, including the fact that he suspected Draco was supposed to sneak Death Eaters into Hogwarts.

The one part of pretending to be a wannabe death eater that was probably the hardest was having to hide his relationship with the lovely Heather Campbell. It was irritating to have to sneak out to the Shrieking Shack or hide in the Room of Requirement just to kiss her or have an honest conversation with the beautiful trickster. It wore on him to have to fake disdain for her, or having to call her 'mudblood' once. Heather had shaken it off pointing out his mission; Blaise still despised himself for saying it.

Blaise watched as the world seemed to grew progressively darker and he realized that the danger could potentially be upon them at any given moment.

Oddly enough, it was the sight of Lavander Brown kissing Pavarti Patil that made him make a decision regarding his potential future.

A few hours later Blaise pulled Heather into the Room of Requirement. After a rather 'enthusiastic' greeting Blaise told her to spread a warning around the other half bloods and muggleborns, one that simply meant 'get out'. Heather, using a human camera that she'd charmed to work, snapped a photo of Draco using the Vanishing Cabinet. On the back she wrote '_use your imagination – what do you think that could welcome inside?' _she was not happy with the Headmaster thanks to Sirius's death because she knew it affected him.

They sent it to the Headmaster's office. Later that night Heather and Blaise slunk out of the castle after hours through a tunnel she'd by chance seen the legendary Weasley Twins use.

Heather pulled him into the Shrieking Shack and kissed him. "No time for worry now," She muttered.

"Seems You-Know-Who's picking up a few new tricks." Blaise muttered, pushing her towards the bed he'd fixed up.

"Tricks, huh?" Heather asked with a sultry tone, flopping back on the bed. "Do you know any tricks Blaise?"

Blaise shrugged and smirked, "a fair number, I've been told. Maybe something like thirty-two?"

Heather tilted her head slightly and smirked back, "Think you can do thirty-two tricks on me?"

"I'll try."

Ironically it was this inadvisable action that ended up saving Heather's life. When she became pregnant, both Blaise and his mother insisted that she come to Italy so she could familiarize herself with her soon-to-be husband's mansion. During the Death Eater's tenure over Britain Heather had been identified as a half-blood and her parents were attacked and killed. Heather was devestated by the news, but she was save, something Blaise doubted she would have been had she remained at Hogwarts after seeing the end of the battle.

Blaise Zabini, his mother Samantha and his wife Heather Campbell-Zabini were later credited for single-handedly, over the course of a year, smuggling eighty muggleborns marked for death and the Kiss to safety in Italy. It took great risk to self; they brushed with death many times to achieve this but it didn't matter as long as they saved someone else.

But of course the only heroes of the war were the golden Trio, achievements like Blaise's were always mentioned second. But what did the deaths of Heather's parents matter when Dumbledore's Magical Chosen One and his two Golden Friends had completed the absurdly high-stakes mission he'd given them?

You'd think they were the only ones who'd done any good.

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Ginny Weasley made a career for herself out of making the wrong people suffer. Some people called her crazy and others nearly worshipped her. Ginny Weasley was the second student in that particular set of seven years to draw the Sword of Gryffindor. She was the one who helped Heather Campbell-Zabini create magical cellphones. She was the one who lead the DA against Voldemort alongside Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. Some whispered that if they'd put her in a real battle instead of keeping her in a school she'd be even scarier than Mad-Eye Moody.

Ginny had changed as though someone had flipped a switch after her brother and boyfriend left to do...whatever secret thing that Dumbledore had told them to do. She had faith in Harry; she understood that whatever it was it needed to be done. He was the only person who had managed to stand up to Voldemort, fight him in a duel and remain standing afterwards. He was chosen for something, she didn't know what.

Maybe she couldn't take away his burden but she could make it easier for him by keeping as many Death Eaters as she could focused on her.

She got muggle guns. She learned non-verbal spells. Everyone grew to understand a single, inescapable truth – one does not simply piss Ginny Weasley off.

Getting banned from Hogsmede didn't slow her down or deter her determination. She simply kept an ear open for news from her family while running the resistance. The Carrows hated her; but she kept getting away from her. Ginny credited Professor McGonagal for keeping her safe from the worst of it; she couldn't imagine what Hogwarts would be like without her.

Ginny didn't think having a bodycount was something to be proud of, and she didn't kill any of her fellow students. She would have killed the Carrows if the moment had come, though, and when Grindolwald's infamous second-in-command was called into school, and every parent feared the worst...his body turned up in the lake near the castle.

They'd never connect it to her, but Ginny lay in the hospital bed for a week afterwards, with a slight triumphant grin on her face.

We're waiting, Harry. Hurry. When you get here we'll clear a path for you. I love you and I will do anything for you. Haste, haste, come faster and faster. I will never stop until every last one of them is dead or in jail.

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Cho Chang had more reason than many of her classmates to be emotional and temperamental. She had lost her boyfriend Cedric Diggory to Voldemort. "He didn't have to kill him," Cho would later tell the Dailey Prophet, "he killed him just because he was there. No reason, no mercy and no quarter. It was so cruel."

But after what had happened to Marietta last year Cho decides she had run out of tears. She was done weeping and she was done waiting for the worst to happen. Cho was tired of this cruelty. She focused entirely on Defence Against the Dark Arts for all her classes, ignoring her teacher's attempts to redirect her attention. She gave remedial training to younger students.

Cho ripped a page out of Lady Snowblood and Kill Bill. She silenced Death Eaters and beat up bullies before Confuding them. She even broke into one of the horrid Carrow's 'detentions', broke the teacher's legs, _obliviated them_, and lead the frightened muggleborns to Blaise who helped them and their parents escape the line of fire.

She vowed she would avenge her boyfriend's death, her pain and her classmate's suffering in blood. The Death Eaters would bleed white for the suffering they caused.

She _would _hold the line until Harry completed whatever task he'd been given by Dumbledore and returned to the school.

She _would _get her friends and younger classmates out of this alive.

No more running and no more crying. Later books and memiors would call her Cho 'Iron Maiden' Chang. Reportedly, she was embarrassed by the nickname, saying that she only did what she felt was needed.

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If Cho was the Iron Maiden, Susan Bones was the vengeful Gaia.

Susan's world had fallen apart. She had lost her aunt Amelia to the Death Eaters. She'd had words carved onto her hand by Dolorus Umbridge. She'd been attacked and spat on. She'd been beaten. She had watched her last shred of safety be ripped away after Professor Dumbledore was murdered. And lastly but not least, Susan was in love with Neville Longbottom, who loved her friend Hannah Abbot.

Hannah had apologized seemingly endlessly since discovering that. Susan had dully waved her off, she couldn't hate her friend, the only thing she had left. Well, not the only thing. Susan Bones had something else in mind.

Vengeance.

She was going to avenge her aunt, her friends, and the dead muggleborns. If the death eaters were going to come here she was going to make their lives a living hell and she had just the ammunition to do it.

Susan was good in Herbology. She also good with deadly plants. One day she went out, ostensibly to meet the Care of Magical Creatures teacher but instead she went into the Forbidden Forest. She came back with a cartload of plants.

Susan was delighted that she managed to get some in Snape's pockets. Not just those awful Carrows either, no she got some into the Vanishing Cabinet and by extension one of the Death Eater hideouts as well. Susan, squashing her smirk

Screams of shock and agony rent the air that night.

Susan, trying to hide her smirk, found out from the paper that her plants had killed forty-five death eaters and put the miserable Carrows in the Hospital Wing for three weeks. The DA celebrated this with cake. Susan Bones would, later in life, get her aunt's old post as head of the new ministry's Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

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Milicent Bustrode cried into her pillow almost every night. She hated it. She hated knowing her parents were killing people, she hated calling her already suffering classmates horrible names, she hated hurting people and above all she hated Tom Riddle, but her parents were already in his circle. The DA wouldn't accept her because she was a Slytherin with Death Eater parents. She had no choice but to stay. And she hated every second of it.

The only two others who felt this way (that she knew of) were the Greengrass sisters Daphne and Astoria. Sometimes they cried together, knowing that their future would be difficult. They prayed that Potter would be able to save them.

That anyone would care enough to save them.

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Harry, Hermione and Ron got their happy endings. Their families (The Weasleys and the Grangers) survived in tact. Their friends/family member got glorious memorial and were all mentioned at least once. All their problems were solved.

Lavander Brown was mutilated by Grayback and disowned by her parents for loving Pavarti Patil, Colin Creevy was murdered leaving a young secret wife and an unborn child, Heather Campbell-Zabini's parents were murdered and she and her double-agent husband saved eighty-three lives, Cho Chang became a warrior who killed death eaters and saved many victims, Susan Bones lost almost everything and barely reformed her life, Milicent Bustrode and Daphne and Astoria Greengrass barely managed to eek out a life, facing hatred for the actions of their parents and those affiliated with their parents for decades afterwards.

All touching stories of love, loss, sacrifice and tragedy, and yet the only heroes mentioned are the Golden Trio. We only hear their story and take for granted they are telling the whole story. But what of the other heroes? What did they do to deserve what happened to them? Were they simply sacrificed for the Greater Good? What could have happened if the Headmaster had not just thought of his 'magical chosen one'?

**End chapter**

**What do you think?**

**Review please!**


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